Snipers kill Shiites

The week's news at a glance.

Baghdad

Despite massive security, gunmen picked off at least 20 Shiite pilgrims and wounded 300 in Baghdad this week, during an annual religious pilgrimage. The anniversary of the 12-century death of the seventh imam is a major Shiite holiday, drawing hundreds of thousands of the faithful to the Baghdad mosque where his body lies. During the march last year, a stampede sparked by rumors of a bomb killed nearly 1,000 people. This year, U.S. and Iraqi forces set up four layers of security for crowd control and protection. Interior Ministry groups guarded the mosque, police established perimeter checkpoints, Iraqi troops roamed the streets, and U.S. helicopters watched from the air. Still, snipers hid on rooftops in Sunni neighborhoods and shot the pilgrims as they walked by.

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE
https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516.jpg

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up
To continue reading this article...
Continue reading this article and get limited website access each month.
Get unlimited website access, exclusive newsletters plus much more.
Cancel or pause at any time.
Already a subscriber to The Week?
Not sure which email you used for your subscription? Contact us